Sprinkler spray shield

Abstract

A spray shield apparatus for shielding against spray from a sprinkler head and which can be quickly and easily attached and detached from a sprinkler standpipe or riser. The spray shield apparatus ( 20 ) has a semi-cylindrical body ( 22 ) enclosed within a circular segmental top end ( 21 ) and a circular segmental bottom end ( 24 ) and that attaches to a riser ( 29 ) via a snap-in attaching hole ( 26 ) integrated within said circular segmental bottom end. Configured into said snap-in attaching hole is a gripping aperture ( 27 ) that engages said riser via friction fit and affixes said spray shield in position. Additionally, an orienting shelf ( 25 ) on the interior of said semi-cylindrical body serves to prevent the spray shield apparatus from being nudged forward and interfering with a spray pattern.

1. A spray shield apparatus mounted atop a vertical riser that shields against spray from a sprinkler head and is attached to said riser to deflect fluid sprayed thereon, said spray shield apparatus comprising;
 (a) a semi-cylindrical body enclosed with a circular segmental top end and an opposing circular segmental bottom end, said circular segmental bottom end being configured to engage said riser via friction fit thereby maintaining said spray shield substantially around said sprinkler head whereby said semi-cylindrical body and said circular segmental top end limits a spray from said sprinkler head to a predetermined area; 
 (b) friction fit means for attaching said spray shield apparatus to said riser without removing said sprinkler head, integrated within said circular segmental bottom end and disposed to receive and engage said riser laterally with respect to the axis of said riser and to maintain said semi-cylindrical body in a predetermined position relative to a spray pattern from said sprinkler head; 
 (c) means for preventing said spray shield apparatus that is attached to said riser from being forcibly tilted into a forwardly oblique position, causing the leading vertical edges of said semi-cylindrical body to contact a radius of said spray pattern from said sprinkler head thereby interfering with said spray pattern; 
 
     whereby said spray shield apparatus effectively captures and contains a misdirected spray from said sprinkler head. 
   
   
     2. The spray shield apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein said friction fit means of attaching said spray shield apparatus to said riser comprises:
 (a) a snap-in attaching hole integrated within said circular segmental bottom end, substantially circular in shape and of a predetermined diameter to accommodate and to partially encircle said riser; 
 (b) a gripping aperture located midway along a leading edge of said circular segmental bottom end, adjacent to and communicating with said snap-in attaching hole, of sufficient width to allow passage of said riser into said snap-in attaching hole and of sufficient narrowness to enable said gripping aperture to maintain a frictional clamping engagement to said riser; 
 
     whereby said spray shield apparatus attaches to said riser and remains in a firmly affixed position relative to said sprinkler head. 
   
   
     3. A method of installing the spray shield apparatus as in  claim 1  onto said riser comprising:
 (a) providing said spray shield apparatus of the type comprising said semi-cylindrical body enclosed with said circular segmental top end and said circular segmental bottom end, having said gripping aperture located midway along said leading edge of said circular segmental bottom end which is adjacent to and communicates with said snap-in attaching hole integrated within said circular segmental bottom end; 
 (b) visually aligning said spray shield apparatus to a desired position relative to said sprinkler head; 
 (c) holding said spray shield apparatus so that the plane of said circular segmental bottom end of said spray shield apparatus is generally perpendicular to the axis of said riser and so that said gripping aperture is adjacent to said riser; 
 (d) engaging said riser within said gripping aperture then forcibly pressing said riser laterally through said gripping aperture until fully situated in said snap-in attaching hole; 
 
     whereby said spray shield apparatus attaches to said riser without said removal of said sprinkler head. 
   
   
     4. The spray shield apparatus as in  claim 1 , whereby said means for preventing said spray shield apparatus that is attached to said riser from being forcibly tilted into said forwardly oblique position causing said leading vertical edges of said semi-cylindrical body to contact and interfere with said radius of said spray pattern comprises:
 (a) a circular segmental shaped orienting shelf protruding from the upper interior portion of said semi-cylindrical body wherein the leading edge of said orienting shelf is disposed to contact said sprinkler head thereby preventing said forward tilt of said spray shield apparatus and maintaining a distance between said spray shield apparatus and said radius of said spray pattern. 
 
   
   
     5. The spray shield apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein said spray shield apparatus is monolithic in form, containing no separate or moving parts and is composed entirely of polyethylene plastic; 
     whereby said spray shield apparatus is impervious to moisture related corrosion.